Making It Right
by Morganperidot
Summary: This is a Katie and Ridge story. Katie has pushed Ridge back at Brooke but can't get him out of her mind.
1. Chapter 1

**Making Things Right**

By Morganperidot

1.

Katie Spencer stood on the beach looking at the ocean. She tried not to think about him and the sound of his soft voice, but she couldn't stop. Even though every thought of him hurt her, those thoughts kept coming, one after the other in a chain of the most exquisite painful pleasure.

Ridge Forrester: For years and years and years she had sat across from him at tables and made small talk with him at various locations, always knowing that he was Brooke's man – even when he was with Taylor there was still a part of him that always drew him back to Brooke. So when Ridge suddenly turned to her, looking into her eyes and speaking to her in the way he had always reserved for Brooke, Katie could only think one thing, that he was temporarily redirecting the feelings that would one day be returned where they belonged – to her sister.

And so, she had pushed him away, back toward Brooke and their family with their son. She had looked into his sweet warm eyes and at the soft lips she had wanted to kiss and told him that there could never be anything between them. She had told him that she couldn't do that to her sister, to Brooke, the woman who had slept with her husband and destroyed her marriage and her family. Katie had rejected Ridge outright and the possibility of a future with him because of Brooke, who would never know or care that she had broken Katie's heart again.

Katie heard her cell phone ring, but she ignored it. She knew what it was. She was late for the fitting for the dresses for Brooke's millionth wedding to Ridge. He had gone back to her and finally proposed to her, because that, of course, was how things were meant to be. Hadn't Katie herself told him that? "You belong with Brooke," she had said. "Go to her and put that ring on her finger. You know that's how it's meant to be." And he had done it; he would be Brooke's husband again, despite everything Brooke had done. He would be with her; he would forgive her. And he would love her again, because he always did.

Katie sighed and turned away from the water. She took the phone out of the pocket of her jacket and listened to the voicemail. It was Donna asking where she was. Katie deleted the message before it was finished. She wanted to run away, to just take Will and get in the car and drive until they were out of gas and so far away that she wouldn't ever have to see Brooke or Bill or Ridge again. She couldn't stand the thought of being near any of them, and yet she knew she would have to play out the farce her life with a phony smile on her face and dark shadows in her heart.

2.

Brooke's dress was white; of course it was. Katie almost choked when she saw it. "Ridge likes for things to be traditional," Brooke said, modeling the off-the-shoulder, satin and lace gown for her sisters. "And I've always looked good in white," she added. That was when she had turned to Katie and asked, "So what do you think?"

Katie smiled and said, "It's beautiful. You're beautiful."

Brooke glowed. "Thank you," she said. "And thank you for talking to Ridge. I know whatever you said to him helped him see that this is the right thing to do."

"You two," Katie said, struggling for a moment to find the rest of a sentence that was just so obvious, "belong together."

"Yes, well I was afraid he may have forgotten that," Brooke said, admiring herself in the mirror. "I was starting to wonder if he might have found someone else."

Donna laughed. "Ridge would never look anywhere else when he has you," she said.

Katie looked over at her other sister who was dressed in the same tasteful if conservative black and white bridesmaid's gown. Donna rolled her eyes, and Katie smiled again. Ridge looked at me, she thought. But she couldn't say that; she could never say anything to her sisters about those moments that had almost been something between her and Ridge, those moments when she had denied that possibility, when she had chosen the sister who betrayed her in the worst possible way over a good man with whom she could have built a new life.

"Are you OK, Katie?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, of course," Katie said.

"You just seemed far away," Brooke said.

"No, I'm right here," Katie said. "I'm not going anywhere."

3.

The days passed on their way toward the wedding date. Katie made excuses to avoid any event that put her in the same room with Ridge, but she couldn't avoid the wedding rehearsal and the dinner at the restaurant afterward. As Brooke practiced walking down the aisle, Katie could feel Ridge's gaze on her rather than his bride-to-be. Katie didn't look at him; she just watched Brooke. And when it was over she walked away without a glance in his direction, though she could still feel his eyes on her.

At the dinner she continued to avoid him, occupying herself in conversation with anyone else. But then she heard her name in his soft tones, and she realized she had to look at him. "Yes?" she said, hoping she wouldn't see that same warmth in his eyes that she had before, and he would just be the Ridge that she had always known.

"You aren't eating?" he asked.

Katie looked down at the plate of food that she had been ignoring. "I'm not really hungry," she said.

He was silent, and then Katie finally met his gaze. She saw the look there, the same look she had seen before when they had been alone together. Shaken, she excused herself from the table and headed in the direction of the ladies room before going outside into the warm night air of LA. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she stood there; she tried to hold them back but knew it was a losing battle.

Katie heard the door open behind her, and she knew it would be Brooke or Donna. She would have to come up with some lie for them. But she was too tired for that, and if they saw the tears she didn't care. She had the right to shed a few after all of this. So she turned around with those tears already rolling down her cheeks. But it was Ridge standing there; of course it was Ridge.

"You said this was what you wanted," he said quietly. Katie wiped her tears away but didn't respond. She didn't trust her voice not to break or her words not to betray her. "You said I should go back to Brooke," he added.

"Yes," Katie managed, the tears still pooling. She looked away. "I have to go," she said. "Tell Brooke I wasn't feeling well, a stomach bug or something…"

Ridge put his hand on her arm gently, and Katie closed her eyes. "Look at me, Katie," he said.

"I have to go, Ridge," she said.

"One minute," he said.

"Ridge…"

"One minute," he repeated.

She sighed and turned toward him, and he released her arm. "You're marrying my sister," Katie said. "You have a family with her."

"We've already had that conversation," Ridge said. "But we didn't have the one where you told me the truth. I want you to do that now. I want you to tell me the truth."

"It doesn't matter," Katie said. "I know that…"

"I don't love Brooke," Ridge said.

"Don't say that," Katie said. "The two of you…"

Ridge pulled her to him and kissed her, his warm, soft lips against hers as he held her body against his. Katie's brain short-circuited; she couldn't do anything but respond in kind. The kiss ended, but he still held her to him, and Katie for her part made no move to end his embrace. "Tell me the truth," he whispered, his lips against her ear.

Katie slid her arms around him, but her brain still told her to lie and end all this before it got out of control. She knew she had to, for Brooke, for RJ – but what about her, and what about Ridge? She hesitated a moment, and in that moment she felt all of that obligation slip away. "I want you," she said.

Ridge lifted his head and gently put his hands on her cheeks. "Ah, Katie, I'm so glad to hear it," he said. Katie's heart soared as he brought his lips back to hers so gently and tenderly.

"Ridge?"

Katie's heart dropped to her toes at the sound of Brooke's voice. Ridge turned to face her, and Katie saw Brooke's face and the questions there that would have to be answered.


	2. Chapter 2

Making It Right: Part 2

By Morganperidot

1.

"Ridge?" Brooke said. "Why are you out here?"

Ridge looked into Katie's eyes for a moment and then turned to face her sister, his fiancée, as the three of them stood outside the restaurant where they had been having dinner after the wedding rehearsal. "We need to talk," he said to Brooke, his voice calm and smooth. He was standing in front of Katie, and she knew why – to block Brooke's view of her. But Katie knew she couldn't hide from this anymore, and she stepped to Ridge's left.

"Katie?" Brooke said. "Are you OK? You look flushed. Did something happen?"

There was concern on Brooke's face, and Katie realized that Brooke hadn't seen that she and Ridge had just been kissing. Katie also realized that it was still possible to let her own feelings for Ridge slide so that he and Brooke could be married. But then she remembered the soft touch of his fingers and his lips, the way he looked at her, and how he said her name – and she couldn't do it. She couldn't let him go. "I'm fine," Katie said.

"I need to talk to you in private," Ridge said to Brooke.

"Of course," Brooke said. "I just don't understand why…"

"I'll explain everything," Ridge said. He turned to Katie then. "You can make it home?" he asked. Katie met his gaze again and saw with clarity what he was saying to her – that he would come there when he was done with Brooke here.

"Yes," Katie said. She stole a look at Brooke and saw her confusion, and again Katie had second thoughts. Weren't Brooke and Ridge destined to be together? Even if he had feelings for Katie now, wouldn't they one day dissolve away like those he'd had for Taylor, and then he would go back to Brooke again as he always did? Katie felt an urge to do what felt in that moment to be the right thing, the safe thing, and withdraw from this before she tore apart Brooke and Ridge's relationship forever, the same way Brooke had destroyed hers and Bill's. She could be the better person, the more honorable one…

"Good," Ridge said quietly, smiling at her, and without thinking about it, Katie smiled back. No, she thought then, there's no better person here. She saw Ridge take Brooke's hand and lead her back inside the restaurant. Katie watched them go and then finally turned in the direction of her car.

2.

Back at her house Katie relieved the babysitter and checked on Will, picking him up and holding him close to try to keep the from worrying about what was transpiring between Brooke and Ridge. But even her sweet little boy didn't have the power to do that. She didn't know what Ridge was telling Brooke; there wasn't much to tell after all. There were feelings and possibilities of where those feelings might lead, but that was all. Would he even go into that? Would he just say he needed more time before the wedding?

Ridge had told Brooke he would explain everything. But could he really do that? Could he look into Brooke's eyes, the eyes of the woman who had been the love of his life, and tell her that he felt more for her sister than he did for her?

It made Katie crazy just thinking about it. She wondered if she should have stayed. Should she have been there when Ridge told Brooke whatever he was going to tell her, and taken her share of Brooke's reaction?

Will was sleepy, and Katie laid him down in his bed before going to her own bedroom, where she changed into jeans and a soft blue t-shirt. She felt sick to her stomach as all sorts of scenarios ran through her head. What if Ridge changed his mind when he saw how hurt Brooke was? What if he decided that what he and Katie shared was just a brief infatuation? What if Brooke really was the only one who could truly possess his heart?

Or what if he did break with Brooke and in doing so actually broke her? Brooke had always been the strong one, but she had also always believed in the forever of her relationship with Ridge, since the moment they first fell in love. Katie couldn't imagine that Brooke would accept that Ridge was leaving her again for someone else – especially not her own sister. There would be tears and fury and vindictiveness and pain – enough to swallow up all of them.

What am I doing? Katie thought. Do I really think I could have a future with Ridge, or is this just revenge against Brooke and Bill? She didn't know. Her thoughts were in turmoil, like a tornado swirling around in her head. She found a book and started reading, and though her thoughts drifted occasionally, she kept at it for the better part of an hour.

When she finally glanced at the clock and saw the time, saw how much time had passed, she thought with certainty: He's not coming; he chose her. Ridge chose Brooke. Of course he did. How had she ever believed that it would be otherwise? She couldn't compete with her gorgeous, sexy, vivacious sister; she never had been able to. It had been so easy for Brooke to take Bill from Katie by just turning her attention to him and batting her eyelashes. She and Ridge had been part of each other for years and years. There was no way he was going to really walk away from that for Katie.

Katie realized she had started crying, so she wiped the tears away with her hands. This was such foolishness, she told herself. No man was going to ride into her life on a big white steed and save her from her loneliness, especially not Ridge Forrester. The idea of it was ridiculous.

But the tears didn't stop, and neither did the fresh ache of losing Ridge. She sat on her bed for a while just crying quietly with her face in her hands. But she knew she had to distract herself again, so she checked on Will and then went in search of her briefcase that had some papers from work with which she could occupy herself, at least until she was tired enough to go to sleep. So she settled on the sofa with those papers, a snack, and a cup of tea and tried not to think about Brooke and Ridge.

The first time she heard the knock on the door Katie was certain she had imagined it, the remnant of some last-ditch hope that Ridge would come to her. But then she heard it again, stronger and louder, more urgent. Ridge, she thought. It had to be. But was that really possible?

Katie tossed the papers aside on the sofa and ran to the door. When she yanked it open, she saw Ridge standing there in the white shirt and gray pants he had worn at the rehearsal dinner, but the jacket and tie were gone. He didn't have a white steed, but he still looked like some shockingly handsome Regency lord who had stepped out a romance novel to stand at her door with windswept hair and a gentle smile. "May I come inside?" he asked softly.

"Yes, of course," Katie said, stepping aside so he could come in. For a frightening moment she expected Brooke to be there behind him, waiting to slap her face and then leave again with Ridge. But there was no one else there. Katie closed the door and looked at him, her heart pounding so hard that she had to force herself to calm down. "You came," she said.

"You thought I wouldn't?" Ridge said.

"I just, I wasn't sure," Katie said. She went over to the sofa and picked up the papers, shuffling them into a neat pile before setting them on the floor.

"Did you want me to?" Ridge asked.

Katie looked at him and saw that it was a question of clarification, not insecurity; there was no weakness in Ridge's stance or the look on his face. If there was any way that he was like Bill it was that – they both had pride, self-assuredness, and strength of purpose, though they carried those attributes in very different ways. She walked over to him. "Yes," she said. "I've been waiting for you. It was just that so much time passed, and I thought maybe you had changed your mind."

Ridge went to her and pulled her close to him, her body pressed against his strong, firm form. "I haven't," he said, "and I won't." Katie parted her lips to take a breath, and he covered them with his, sweeping her into the hot depths of passionate kiss that brought to life every part of her that had shut down since she lost Bill.

When her lips were finally free, Katie said simply, "Wow."

Ridge laughed quietly. "Yeah," he said. "Wow."

"Would you like a glass of wine?" Katie asked.

"Yes, thank you," Ridge said, following her as she headed to the kitchen. Once there, Katie took a bottle of white wine out of the refrigerator and filled two glasses before handing one to Ridge.

They sipped the wine in silence for a moment, Katie closing her eyes as cool liquid slide down into her heated throat. When she opened her eyes she saw Ridge's steady gaze on her and she knew they had to talk about what had happened between him and Brooke. "You should tell me what…"

"Later," Ridge said, finishing off his wine and setting the glass aside.

Katie drank hers down as well. It worried her that he didn't seem to want to discuss what he'd said to Brooke. "You…"

"Katie, I'm here," Ridge said. "I'm here with you. That's where I want to be."

This was what she wanted and needed to hear, and Katie knew he meant it. But she still had to ask, "Does that mean you aren't marrying Brooke?"

Ridge walked over to the wine bottle and refilled his glass. He now stood closer to her, and Katie could feel the waves of magnetism coming off of him. She had no problem understanding how her sister had fought so hard against Taylor to keep this man. "I'm not marrying Brooke," Ridge said. "I'm not in love with Brooke. I don't want to be with Brooke." He swallowed some of the wine. "Brooke and I are over," he added.

"Is she OK?" Katie asked.

"She will be," Ridge said. He set down the glass again. "You know Brooke, Katie," he said. "We both do. She'll be fine."

"I just think maybe…"

"Don't," Ridge said. "It's done. For what it's worth you have me now."

Katie laughed. "It means a lot," she said.

"Good," Ridge said, moving closer to Katie, "because you mean a lot to me." And he drew her into to an embrace that felt more right to her than anything had in a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

Making It Right: Part 3

By Morganperidot

1.

As much as Katie had wanted Ridge to spend the night – and as much as he seemed to want to stay – Katie knew it was too soon for that. So she had walked him to the front door, where they had shared another soft, deep, long kiss that had made her question her decision. Still, they had said good-night, and he had left while she went upstairs to bed alone.

She woke the next morning to the sound of pounding. Katie looked at the clock, which glowed with 7:00 even. Thinking there was an emergency – but wouldn't someone call? – Katie threw a robe over her gray t-shirt and purple pajama pants, checked on Will, and then ran down the stairs to the door, where the pounding persisted. Katie yanked the door open and found Brooke standing there, immaculately dressed in a turquoise suit with matching jewelry and perfectly styled hair. Katie self-consciously flattened her bed head hair with the palm of her hand. "Brooke, what…"

"May I come inside?" Brooke asked, her voice level but bearing a sharp edge. Katie knew she wasn't prepared for a confrontation with Brooke, and she made what she knew was a pointless attempt to retreat from it but only managed to say one word before being cut off. "I…"

"I'm not leaving until we talk," Brooke said. As Katie had no doubt of that, she stepped aside and let Brooke stride into her home.

At that moment Will started to cry, and Katie tried to hide her relief as she rushed up the stairs to him. After calming him down, Katie went to the bathroom where she combed her hair and pulled it back before applying a bit of makeup. Of course those lame attempts were foolishness next to Brooke's perfection, but Katie didn't want to look like she had just rolled out of bed even if she had. Releasing the breath she had been holding, Katie went back down the stairs, slowly this time.

Brooke was looking at her cell phone and didn't look up until Katie stood a few feet from her. "Is Ridge here?" she asked.

"No," Katie said. "He…"

"Good," Brooke said. "I want this to just be you and me."

Meaning, you think you can walk all over me without him here, Katie thought. "Would you like to sit down?" she asked.

"Yes," Brooke said, and she went over to the sofa and sat down, crossing her legs. Katie sat on the other end of the sofa. "I know you're still angry about Bill and me," Brooke said.

"This isn't about that," Katie said.

"Of course it is," Brooke said. "I know you, and I know Ridge. I know he thinks that he's helping you by standing with you against me."

"This really isn't about either you or Bill," Katie said. "This isn't something that was planned, Brooke. Ridge and I just found ourselves…"

"Don't pretend to me that you know him," Brooke said firmly, anger flashing in her eyes. "You have no idea who Ridge Forrester is or what he wants. And there is no 'our' between the two of you."

The certainty in Brooke's tone quieted Katie for a moment. She recalled that she didn't know for certain what Ridge had said to Brooke after she found them together at the rehearsal dinner. What if he was playing them one against the other behind the scenes? No, she didn't believe that. She didn't believe Ridge was misleading her. If anything, it was Brooke doing that. "I know you're upset about the wedding being canceled," Katie said. "I'm sorry about that. I was trying to ignore what I was feeling for Ridge. I told him to be with you and your family. I believed that was the right thing."

"It is the right thing," Brooke said, "and we all know it."

"But Ridge and I…"

"Stop fooling yourself," Brooke said. "He pities you; that's all. He's playing this game with you to build your confidence after what happened between you and Bill. Are you really naïve enough to believe that Ridge is going to come back here from Paris for me and then suddenly fall head-over-heels in love with you? Do you know how ridiculous that is?"

Katie felt her own fury rise up inside of her like a hibernating dragon that had been awakened and was ready to breathe fire. "Ridiculous why?" she said. "Because he chose me over you?"

"Because you believe he would set his family aside for you," Brooke said. She sighed. "All you've done by buying into this is delay the reunion of R.J.'s family. You've forced my son to wait until you play out your childish crush on Ridge before he can have his home back."

"You're the one keeping R.J. away," Katie said.

"He needs his parents together," Brooke said, "which will be the case once you release Ridge from the obligation of pretending to be your doting suitor."

"Wow, you are unbelievable," Katie said. She stood up. "After all of these years you still see me as that little girl who wants to be like her big sister, who wants to have what she has and is jealous of her."

"You are jealous of me," Brooke said.

"Why?" Katie said. "Because you stole my husband? Because you slept with every man in LA, including your own daughter's husband? Because you have children with three different men? Or because Eric keeps you around at Forrester to prop up your pathetic clothes for hos?"

Brooke stood as well. "I know exactly who I am," she said. "And I know exactly who Ridge is. You are the one who needs to do some examination of who you are and what this relationship you think you have with him really is." She strode to the door. "The sooner you do that," she said, "the sooner he can come home to me and R.J."

"I'm not doing anything to stop Ridge from being where he wants to be," Katie said.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Open your eyes, Katie," she said, and then she left, closing the door quietly behind her.

2.

When Katie got to her office at Spencer Publications she called Ridge, who had told her he would be at Forrester Creations discussing some new designs with Rick. "I need to see you," she said.

"I'd like that," Ridge said playfully.

"I'm serious," Katie said. "Brooke came to my house. There are some things I need to discuss with you face to face."

Ridge was silent for a moment. "What did Brooke say?" he asked finally.

Katie was troubled by his pause and his question. What if Brooke was right? she wondered. What if he had told Brooke at the rehearsal dinner that this was just some ruse he playing with Katie? She shook her head, but the doubt still clung to her. "Can you meet for lunch?" she asked.

"Of course," Ridge said. "The park?"

"Yes," Katie said. "Meet me there at noon."

Before noon Katie left her office and picked up a couple sandwiches and sodas. She found Ridge already sitting on a blanket on the grass in the park. He shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand as he held the other out to her. Katie grasped his hand and let him guide her down beside him. "It's good to see you," Ridge said softly. He touched her face with his fingertips and then moved closer, bringing his lips to hers. "I've missed you," he whispered against her lips before kissing her, and Katie found herself melting into him. He put his hands on her back, and the kiss deepened. Katie just closed her eyes and opened her mind and body to the sensations of him. Ridge, she thought, and she wanted more of him, all of him.

Katie broke off the kiss. "Tell me what you told Brooke," she said.

"About what?" Ridge asked.

"About us," Katie said, though part of her didn't really want to know.

Ridge tilted his head slightly and looked at her. "She made you doubt me," he said.

"She tried," Katie said.

"And succeeded to some extent," Ridge said.

"Tell me," Katie said.

Ridge studied her for a moment longer and then looked in her eyes as he spoke. "I told her that I had been putting off telling her something because I didn't think anything would come of it," he said. "But it turned out that there was something, and she needed to know. I had developed feelings for someone else – strong feelings I couldn't and didn't want to deny – and they were feelings that were shared. As a result, I couldn't marry her; it wouldn't be fair to any of us."

"Did she ask who it was?" Katie asked.

"Yes," Ridge said. "I told her it was you. I told her have strong feelings for you."

Katie looked into the steadiness of his gaze and couldn't find a lie in his eyes or his words. "You don't…feel sorry for me?" she asked.

"No," Ridge said. "Of course not. You're a beautiful, intelligent, warm woman, Katie Logan Spencer. Why would I feel sorry for you – because Bill left you? That seems like a blessing to me." Katie smiled. "Is that what Brooke told you?" Ridge asked. "She said I'm with you because I feel sorry for you?"

"She said you were just pretending to be interested in me to get my confidence up and that you were going to go back to her," Katie said.

Ridge laughed quietly. "She's always had some interesting ideas about people," he said.

"She's known you intimately for a long time," Katie said.

Ridge raised an eyebrow. "Do you think she's right?" he asked.

"I don't think you're pretending," Katie said.

"I'm glad to hear that," Ridge said. After a moment he added, "But you do think I'll go back to her."

"You have a child with her," Katie said.

"You have a child with Bill," Ridge said.

"You know that isn't the same," Katie said. "What he and I had together could never be repaired. But you and Brooke, you could fix what is broken between you. You were ready to do that. You were going to marry her and spend the rest of your life with her, to be her husband like you were so many times before."

"Because I thought I couldn't be with you," Ridge said.

"Because part of you will always love her," Katie said.

Ridge took one of her hands gently in his. "OK, yes," he said. "I will always care about Brooke. But what I feel for her now isn't what I used to feel. It isn't that pull to be with her that I used to feel. I feel that with you now. And that's all that matters to me. I just wish it meant as much to you."

"It does…"

"Show me," Ridge said. "Make me believe it."

Instead of responding directly, Katie took out her phone to call her assistant and cancel her meetings for the rest of the day. A moment later Ridge freed himself for the afternoon as well.

3.

They were in Katie's bedroom, the room dark except for a trio of red candles topped with flickering flames. Ridge's touch was fluid tenderness, so pure and natural, so different from Bill and his constant need to exert his manly dominance. Ridge was self-assured without being arrogant, giving and responsive, entirely present in the moment. And when he held Katie in his arms and whispered into her ear, "I love you," she believed it without a single doubt remaining.


End file.
